Automatic switch and throwing device.



No. 642,772. Patented Feb. 6, 1900.

c. L. WILSON.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH AND THROWING DEVICE.

(Application filed May 4, 1899 (N o M o d e l WWv W WITNESSES: INVENTOR A TTOHF/EYS Tu: Nomi: wzrsas cc wncrouma, WASH'NGTON, 1; c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAYTON L. WILSON, OF MUNHALL, PENNSYLVANIA AUTOMATIC SWITCH AND THROWING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,772, dated February 6, 1900. Application filed May 4, 1899. Serial No. 715,615. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLAYTON L. WILSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Munhall, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch and Throwing Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switches, and relates more particularly to that class of switches and operating mechanism therefor that are employed on street-railways and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide novel means for operating the switch from the car, and to this end to construct a device which will operate the switch when the car is moving in either direction.

Briefly described my invention consists of a novel operating mechanism which is attached underneath each platform of the car and is provided with two tripping arms or levers, one of which is adapted to operate the switch when the car is moving in the one direction and the other of which is adapted to operate the switch when the car is moving in the opposite direction. In the road-bed of the track I arrange a casing-one at either side of the switchand place bell-cranks within these casings and connect the same by a rod, which also connects with the switchtongue. The bell-cranks are operated by means of a lever and tripping-cam, the latter protruding through the top of the casing and adapted to be engaged by the tripping arms or levers carried by the operating mechanism secured to the underneath part of the car body or platform. All of this construction will be hereinafter more specifically de scribed and then particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended, and in describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein like numerals of reference will be used to indicate similar parts throughout the different views, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a car, and also showing the operating mechanism connected to the switch, with the box or cas ing in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a switch and road-bed, showing the lid of the casings and a part of the conduit between the casings removed. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the switch-operating mechanism connected to the switch-tongue. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rock-shaft, the tripping arms or levers, and the operatinglever. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tripping-cam and a part of the connectingrod. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pedestal-plate and one of the bell-cranks. Fig. 7 is a modified form of bell-crank, showing a yielding connection between the same audits connecting-rod. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of v a part of the car-platform and the lockingplug for the rock-shaft, showing a part of the rook-shaft.

Referring now to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 indicates the platform or bed of the car, to which the operating mechanism is attached and which I will first describe.

J ournaled in suitable hangers or brackets 2, secured to this platform or bed 1, is a rockshaft 3, having its ends 4 and 5 bent downwardly at right angles, and to these ends are attached the one end of levers 6 and 7, the opposite ends of these levers being pivotally connected one to the tripping arm or lever 8 and the other to a like tripping arm or lever 9. These tripping arms or levers 8 and 9 are somewhat angular in shape and are pivotally supported from hangers 10, secured to the car bed or platform 1. The upwardly-extending portion of these two tripping arms or levers operates between the two sides of the hangers 10, which act as a brace or guide to keep the tripping arms or levers in true alinement to engage the tripping-cam. On their free ends these tripping arms or levers 8 and 9 are formed with jaws 11, in which are journaled the rollers 12 to prevent the locking engagement of the tripping arms or levers with the tripping-cam when operating the same. The rock-shaft 3 is operated by means of the lever 14, which extends upwardly throughan aperture 15, provided therefor at a suitable point in the car-platform. This lever is made detachable, so that the motorman can move the same from one end of the car to the other, and thus prevent tampering with the switch-operating mechanism by unauthorized persons. For this purpose I provide the operating-lever 14 on its lower end with a receiving-cup 16, which engages a stud or pin 17, provided therefor on the rock-shaft 3. The lever 14E may have conveniently connected thereto in any desirable manner an ordinary lockingrod 18, adapted to engage the rack 19, secured to the platform of the car, for retaining the operating mechanism of the car in the position in which it has been set. When this operating-lever 14 is removed from one end of the car to the other,the mechanism from which the lever has been detached maybe locked in the inoperative position by means of a plug 20, which is placed in the opening l5 of the car-platform and provided in the lower end with a recess to receive the stud or pin 17, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

I will now describe the switch and the mechanism arranged in the road-bed for operating the same, 21 indicating the switch-tongue, which may be of the ordinary construction and is pivotallysecured to the switeh'rail 22. Arranged in the road-bed, outside the rails and at a point about opposite to the switchtongue 21, are two open boxes or casings 28, having a removable cover or lid 24. The cross-tie 25 extends into these boxes or easin gs and has secured thereto, within the boxes or casings, a pedestal-plate 25, having a vertical journal-pin 26, on which is mounted the bellcrank 27. One of these bell-cranks is arranged at each side of the track, and the one arm of one bell-crank is connected to the corresponding arm of the opposite bell-crank by rods 28, having their free ends screw-threaded and connected by a turnbuckle 29. These rods are or may be inclosed within a casing 30, arranged therefor in the road-bed of the track between the two rails, and they operate through apertures 31, provided therefor in the inner walls of the casings 25. The other arm of each of the bell-cranks is pivotally connected by a rod 32 to a turnbuckle 33, said buckle being connected at its other end by a rod 34 to the lower end of the tripping-cam 35, which is pivotally supported, as at 36, from the walls of the casing 24, and has its large end extending upwardly through a slot 37 in the lid or cover of the casing at a point adjacent to the rail 22. The one face of this tripping-cam is chamfered to form shoulders 38, adapted to engage upon the lid or cover of the casing and limit the movement of the said tripping-cam. The rod 28 that is adjacent to the switch-tongue has secured thereon a pin 39, extending upwardly through a slot 40 in the flange of the rail 22 and engaging the switch-tongue 21. It will of course be observed that the web of each rail will necessarily be provided with apertures to receive the rods 38 and permit the movement of the same to operate the switch-tongue.

I will now describe the operation and for this purpose will assume that the switch is in the posit-ion shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and it is desired to continue the car on the straight track. The lever 14 is moved forwardly, causing the same to operate the rockshaft 3, the connecting lever-rod 6, and the tripping arm or lever 8 to throw the latter downwardly in position to engage the tripping-cam 35, moving the same toward the switch tongue 21 and causing the same through its connections with the rods 32 and 34:, bell-crank 27, and rods 28 to move the switch-tongue into the position shown in dotted lines, and thus allow the ear to continue upon the straight track. It will be readily apparent that the reverse movement of the operating-lever let will move the tripping lever or arm 9 downwardly and elevate the tripping arm or lever 8, so as to operate the switch-tongue through engagement with the cam when the car is moving in the opposite direction.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have shown a yielding connection between the rod 3-1- and the bell-crank 27. In this construction the rod 34. instead of being pivotally connected to the arm of the bell-crank passes through the same and is provided on the free end with a nut 41. Between this nut and the bellcrank is arranged a coil-spring 4-2. By this means in event of the switch-tongue being clogged so as to prevent movement thereof the rods 32 and 84, bell-cranks 27, and connecting-rod 28 will be permitted to perform their movement when actuated without moving the switch-tongue to prevent breakage of the parts.

When the operating lever let has been moved to the vertical position, the rock-shaft 3 will have been moved so as to place the ends 4 and 5 thereof in the vertical position and the tripping levers or arms 8 and 9 so positioned as to hold their rollers 12 above the point of engagement and allow the uninterrupted movement of the car.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a frog and a pivoted switch-tongue arranged thereon, of a casing arranged at each side of the track, a removable cover for said casing, said cover being provided with an oblong slot in close proximity to the rails, a tripping-cam pivotally mounted to the inner wall of the casing and projecting through the slot in the cover, said tripping-cam having a shoulder adapted to engage the cover to limit the movement of the cam when operated, a pedestal-plate arranged within each casing and having avertical journal-pin, a bell-crank journaled on said pin, a pair of rods pivotally connecting one arm of the bell-cranks, one of said rods being pivotally connected to the switch tongue, rods pivotally connecting the other arm of each bell-crank to the tripping-cam, and means suspended from the car-platform for operating thetripping-cams to actuate the switch-tongue, said means comprising a rock-shaft journaled in suitable hangers and having its ends bent at right angles thereto, a pair of levers pivotally connected to said ends, tripping-arms having their one end pivotally connected to said levers and being pivotally supported from hangers secured to the car-platform, a detachable operating-lever engaging said rock-shaft, and means secured to said lever and to the car-platform for holding the rock-shaft and tripping-arms in the inoperative position, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with the main and side track, of a pivoted switch-tongue, a tripping-cam pivotally supported at the outside of each rail, a bell-crank jonrnaled at each side of the track, connections between the trippingcam on each side of the track and the corresponding bell-crank, a casing arranged between the rails of the track, apairof rods extending Within said casing with their one ends connected to the bell-cranks and their other ends connected by a turnbuckle, a pin mounted on one of said rods and engaging the switch-tongue, and an operating device suspended from the car-platform and com-' prising a rock-shaft extending transversely of the car and journaled in hangers secured thereto,said rock-shaft carrying a pin adapted to receive a detachable operating-lever, 1evers 6 and 7 having their one ends pivotally connected to the ends of the rock-shaft, trip- CLAYTON L. WILSON.

\Vitn esses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. XV. ARTHUR. 

